Pakistan’s former wicket-keeper batter Kamran Akmal has revealed his probable squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, which is scheduled to begin on February 19. They will start the event against New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi before facing India in the mouth-watering clash at the Dubai International Stadium.
Pakistan, who will come into the tournament after their preparation through the tri-series involving the Blackcaps and South Africa, will end their group stage with a clash against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Kamran Akmal has kept Fakhar Zaman, Imam U Haq, and Saim Ayub as the three openers, one of whom will miss out on the playing eleven. Ayub got an injury, during the second Cape Town Test against South Africa as the PCB delayed their squad announcement to get the final status of his fitness. The southpaw cracked 515 ODI runs last year with the help of nine innings at an average of 64.37, shouldering on three centuries and one half-century.
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Imam hasn’t been part of the ODI squad of the green brigade, since he faced the Proteas in Chennai during the 2023 ODI World Cup. In 71 innings, the left-handed batter has clubbed 3138 runs at an average of 48.27 with nine centuries and 20 fifties. Fakhar, who has earned 3492 runs in 81 ODIs, hasn’t been part of the squad.
Kamran Akmal keeps young Sufiyan Muqeem for Pakistan’s squad for Champions Trophy 2025
Kamran Akmal has also kept Pakistan’s former captain, Babar Azam, in the squad, who finished 2024 with 228 runs in six innings at an average of 57 and a strike rate of below 80 with two fifties. The captain and wicket-keeper batter, Mohammad Rizwan, who has drilled 264 runs in seven innings at 52.80, is the lone wicket-keeper in the squad.
Kamran Ghulam made his debut against the Kiwis in 2023 and has found a place in the Champions Trophy squad of Kamran Akmal. In six innings, the right-handed batter has smacked 192 runs at an average of 32. Salman Ali Agha, the vice-captain, has also found a place in the squad on the merit of his 696 runs in 23 innings at a strike rate of 97.20.
Without a doubt, the left-arm pacer of Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, alongside the aggressive and expressed pacer, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah, has been included by Kamran Akmal in the squad. Rauf was in incredible touch in the 50-over format in 2024 with the help of 13 scalps in eight innings at an average of 22.38.
Afridi also earned 15 wickets in six innings at an average of below 18 and a strike rate of just over 20. Aamer Jamal is the backup seamer in the squad, the former players and the board seem to move away from their veteran spin all-rounder Shadab Khan. Abrar Ahmed is the spinner who is likely to be in the starting eleven.
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Sufiyan Muqeem, the 25-year-old left-arm wrist spinner, enjoyed a great debut against the Proteas in Johannesburg. Kamran Akmal has also joined the squad with Mohammad Hasnain and Mohammad Irfan Khan Niazi. Hasnain has collected 17 wickets in 14 ODIs at an average of 40.17.
The selection of Imam in the eleven will depend on the fitness of Ayub, as the strict deadline of the ICC to announce the squad ends on January 19, before which Pakistan and India, the two remaining sides, would have to announce their Champions Trophy squad.
Kamran Akmal’s Predicted Squad For Champions Trophy 2025
Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Kamran Ghulam, Aamer Jamal, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Imam Ul Haq, Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Irfan Khan Niazi, Mohammad Hasnain.